How does the number of chromosomes in sex cells compared with the number of chromosomes in body cells?
Sex cells have 23 chromosomes compared to the
body cells' 46 chromosomes. This is because a child is created from
half the genome of its father and half the genome of its
mother.
In other words, 23 chromosomes in the mother's egg and 23
chromosomes in the father's sperm, when combined generate a child
with 46 chromosomes in its body cells.
However, sometimes mutations occur where more of fewer
chromosomes are passed down, this will either result in no
embryotic development or the embryo having some kind of
syndrome.